The ecological footprint: a non-monetary metric of human consumption applied to North America |
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| Institution: | 1. Technology Management, Economics and Policy Program, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea;2. Department of Economics and Managemet, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran;3. Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, South Korea;4. Department of Chemistry, Soongsil University, Seoul, 06978, South Korea;5. The University of Johannesburg, Department of Chemical Engineering, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein 2088, South Africa;6. Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Malaysia;7. Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China;1. School of Humanities and Economic Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China;2. Key Laboratory of Carrying Capacity Assessment for Resource and Environment, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing, China;1. School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China;2. Center for Energy & Environmental Policy Research, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China;3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Electric Vehicles in Beijing, 100081 Beijing, China;4. Beijing Key Lab of Energy Economics and Environmental Management, Beijing 100081, China;5. Sustainable Development Research Institute for Economy and Society of Beijing, Beijing 100081, China |
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| Abstract: | This paper employs ecological footprint analysis as a potential non-monetary metric of human consumption and ecological productivity in a simulation-modeling framework, applied to North America. The ecological footprint provides an indirect basis for considering the long-term ecological risk and sustainability of human settlements, regions or, in this case, a continent. We examine several scenarios for human consumption, ecological productivity and material efficiency, to explore which variables have influence on the ecological budget of North America over the coming century. Only one scenario, which assumes considerable reductions in human consumption, is likely to yield an ecological surplus. Unlike monetary measures of societal well-being, ecological footprint analysis shows that increased economic activity and consumption creates deficits in terms of the balance of ecological productivity and consumption in a region, and may reduce long-term ecological sustainability. Several advantages and disadvantages of this metric are discussed. |
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